LeBron James all but says he's returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers during video testimonial

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- LeBron James said he is "still in a little funk" over losing the Finals to Golden State, but continues to sound like there is no doubt he will return to the Cavaliers next season.

James is widely expected to opt out of his contract by June 29 and become a free agent, only to re-sign with the Cavs on a new, short-term deal.

"Hopefully I can put our team in position once again to try to compete for a championship next year and year in and year out," James said on Bleacher Report's "Uninterrupted," a series of streamed testimonials James takes part in as part of an undisclosed financial arrangement. "That's my goal, and my inspiration hasn't changed."

James told the Northeast Ohio Media Group during the Finals he is "happy where I'm at" in Cleveland, and in the immediate aftermath of Tuesday's Game 6 loss to the Golden State Warriors he reiterated his family was happy to be home.

James has a $21.57 million player option on the deal he signed when he returned to Cleveland last summer. He'll likely decline the option for a new one-year contract worth roughly $22 million with a player option.

In James' latest "Uninterrupted" video, in which he speaks while sitting in a barber's chair getting a haircut, he said "being back home is everything that I dreamed of, everything that I thought about.

"Being back with these fans, being back with this community, just being back here and trying to bring joy to this city, which deserves it," James said. "Bringing a sense of pride to this city, which deserves it. Giving this city something to talk about, which they deserve."

"You know, for a team that's first getting together, in our first year to be able to reach the Finals, (I'm) not saying I'm happy with the results, but I'm proud of our guys," James said. "Just the growth that they had from the first day we walked in the gym to the other day, us losing, I'm proud of the guys and what they was able to accomplish."

Cleveland coach David Blatt said on Thursday that "LeBron's heart was in the right place" in moments where he yelled at Blatt on the court or changed a play call. Blatt said coaching James was "invigorating and exhilarating."